§ 16. Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support proposals made in the Western European Union for the establishment of a European naval task force, centred on a British carrier or amphibious ship, in the Mediterranean.
§ Mr. MulleyOur maritime forces in the Mediterranean are declared to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation which is currently studying how to improve the effectiveness of allied forces in the area.
§ Mr. GriffithsDoes that reply indicate that the right hon. Gentleman has considered the proposal made in W.E.U. 858 or not? Does not he consider that it would have very definite advantages, in that European vessels in the Mediterranean can undertake tasks that the Sixth Fleet, with its nuclear weapons, cannot so effectively undertake?
§ Mr. MulleyI think the hon. Gentleman knows that all member Governments pay great regard to the proposals made by their Parliamentarians in Western European Union. But N.A.T.O. policy is not for us to make unilaterally; it is made in the Alliance as a whole. As I have explained to the hon. Gentleman, the whole question of the Mediterranean is under study.